TWENTY QUESTIONS WITH MATT HEAFY FROM TRIVIUM

FRONT recently spoke to Trivium frontman Matt Heafy, offering him our famous Twenty Questions, a gauntlet of queries we put to everybloodybody. Trivium begin a headlining tour of the UK on October 15, taking in Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Bristol, Norwich and London. Tickets are available from Live Nation.

1. As a kid, what was your favourite film?
It’s not a film, but I always pretended to be Ultraman when I was really young. He’s a superhero guy, a kind of alien thing. He had big blue orbs for eyes and a red sensor thing on his chest. When I was born I had this weird birthmark on the side of my chest that used to bum me out, but when I got into Ultraman I realised he had the same red thing on his chest. It’s a toss-up between him and the Power Rangers, but the Japanese version.2. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever eaten?
The worst-sounding thing I enjoyed was locusts in Japan. It sounds terrifying but was actually really good. The thing that I recall not liking but would try again was raw squid marinated in its own raw guts. It tasted like licking the inside of a whale’s blowhole. Someone was recently questioning how rock’n’roll Trivium is. I don’t think it gets more rock’n’roll than consuming the flesh of something that’s living.

3. Have you got any phobias?
I used to be a major germophobe, but touring beat that out of me.

4. What super power would you most like?
I’d like to be like Batman. He is the most mentally grounded because he doesn’t have an actual superpower. His endless bank account doesn’t hurt his superhero-ness either. Wolverine’s ability to heal is pretty damn good too.

5. What makes an awesome night out an awesome night out?
Having unbelievable food and drinks somewhere where I would never expect it. Anywhere that has truly amazing local food, whether it’s a hole in the wall or a fancy restaurant.

6. What’s the first album you ever bought?
The Presidents Of The United States Of America’s first album. I was in 4th grade, back when CDs had those big long rectangular boxes.

7. What will your funeral be like?
I’ve always said that I wanted my body to be laid in a Viking ship that gets pushed out into in the middle of a lake then lights on fire and explodes.

8. Who’s the biggest arsehole famous person you’ve ever met?
I was terrified before meeting Metallica. I was shaking and stammering, but the guys in that band were the coolest, most hospitable people I’ve ever met. Lars was absolutely hilarious and they were all very welcoming, generous and super cool. I knew they would be cool but I didn’t know they’d be that cool.

9. If you hadn’t have become a musician, what do you think you’d be doing?
Back then, I don’t know what it would have been, but now I think I’d love to have been a chef.

10. What’s your favourite social networking site?
My favourite is my own personal food blog kiichichaos.com. I’ve broken it down by the five human senses. I also have two Facebooks – one for family and friends and one for the music industry.

11. What’s the worst idea you’ve ever had?
I recently ate from an Indian buffet in a truck stop gas station. That fucked me up.

12. What’s your booze of choice?
When travelling abroad, I always like trying the local beer or liquor or wine or whatever. I’m also really into any kind of cocktail with the words “Pre-“ or “Post-“ preceding “Prohibition.”

13. What’s the most illegal thing you’ve ever done?
It depends on what states have what laws and what ones don’t. Sodomy is illegal in some states. We used to be a party band so the most illegal thing I’ve ever done is probably cocaine or weed. Then again, it all depends on where you are…

14. What have you seen that you wish you could un-see?
Bandmates’ penises. I’ve seen most of them and I would definitely happily bleach them out of my mind. I was held at penis gunpoint by one of them once. That made me very unhappy.

15. How would you spend a million quid in 24 hours?
I would buy a small, remote island and put up really tall perimeter fencing and guard towers so nobody could get in. Then I’d make it look like the island of Dr. Moreau. I’d also have a farm of French bulldogs.

16. What’s your favourite swear word?
Fuck, because it’s universally applicable to any situation and anything. Someone once counted how many times I said fuck in a set and it was 50 times in a 45-minute set. That was way back when we first started. It’s a lot less now.

17. Why should people go and see Trivium?
This isn’t just a hobby. Metal isn’t just a genre for us, it’s a lifestyle. We pretty much sacrifice our lives for what we do. With live shows, you see bands using click tracks and you see guys that can’t play their instruments very well or sing live. We’re not like that, because we trained for it. We are real music, not what is essentially fast food for the masses like some pop and other genres.

19. What’s the most you’ve ever needed the toilet?
On stage. I’ve had food-poisoning a few times, and all my screaming comes from the intestines, so if there’s ever been a show where I’ve not moved from my spot, it’s been because if I did, it could be potentially fatal. Thankfully I’ve never followed through on stage. I’ve sharted before a few sets though.

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